Agree with this premise, but the F328be is also on sale for $6800/ea or a pair for $13,600 putting them in the range of the proposed budget. There is a thread on here comparing the F226be's to the F328be's. Many on that thread think the 226's are as good or at least a better deal and the 228's would be even better. By the way, the same location also has the Salon2's for exactly $15,000 for a pair.
I think Amir put it best when he said "The rule here is simple: if you can afford the more expensive speaker, get it.
There is nothing that the F328Be does worse than its smaller brothers." Of course this argument would also apply to the Salon2's. However, the Salon2 is a much older design and even the engineers at Harman have been quoted as saying the 328's are, in many ways, better than the Salon2's. But of course this is all just speculation without hearing them both.
I would have a hard time getting either upstairs to my listening room as they are both very heavy beasts! That might be the best case for the 228's!